Path set for Fernandez, Andreescu at U.S. Open
NEW YORK • Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu learned their first-round opponents at the 2022 U.S. Open Thursday as the Canadians look to make another deep run at the final tennis major of the season.
Fernandez, the highest seeded Canadian woman at No. 14, opens against France’s Oceane Dodin. The 19-yearold from Laval, Que., made it to the final of last year’s U.S. Open before losing to fellow teen Emma Raducanu of Britain in straight sets.
Fernandez’s run to the 2021 final included wins over defending champion Naomi Osaka, fifth seed Elina Svitolina and second seed Aryna Sabalenka.
The Canadian’s quarter of the bracket includes second seed Anett Kontaveit and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, who will be making her final appearance at the tournament.
Andreescu, who beat Williams in the 2019 final, opens against France’s Harmony Tan. The 22-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., comes into the tournament ranked No. 50 in the world. She returned to action this season after taking a hiatus for mental health reasons.
Andreescu could face Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, a finalist earlier this month at the National Bank Open in Toronto, in the second round.
Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino, appearing in the main draw of the U.S. Open for the second straight year, opens against Poland’s Magdalena Frech and could get Toronto champ Simona Halep in the second round.
On the men’s side, sixthseed Félix Auger-aliassime of Montreal opens against a qualifier yet to be determined. Auger-aliassime is the second-highest seed in his quarter behind world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. The two could meet in the fourth round.
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., seeded 19th in New York, opens against Switzerland’s Marc-andrea Huesler and could face ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the third round.
The only Canadian able to join those already in the main draw was Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., who was facing Italy’s Andreas Seppi in a second-round qualifying match Thursday night.
Earlier, Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., was foiled in her attempt to advance to her first Grand Slam main draw since the 2020 French Open with a 6-2, 6-3 loss to fourth-seeded Czech Linda Noskova in the second round of qualifying.